


Special

by johnlock_loveandangst



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: M/M, Teenlock, Unilock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-04-24 06:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4909192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnlock_loveandangst/pseuds/johnlock_loveandangst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock Holmes has had a lot of very bad, not good first days at school.</p><p>This is not one of them</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello there. *waves*
> 
> This is my very first work in this fandom. It's been, ooh, 15 years since I wrote a fan fic, so I am extremely nervous about posting something for public consumption once again.
> 
> This is my entry for the fuckyeahteenlock Back to School contest. 
> 
> Edit: This story placed third! Third! Yay! =D
> 
> Not beta'd, not britpicked. Any glaring errors, please let me know!
> 
> I'm terrible at titles so...yeah. Please, enjoy!
> 
> This is dedicated to all of those absolutely fantastic fanfic authors out there who I have been reading for the past 20 or so months. You inspire me each time I read something so beautifully written.

**Special**

Sherlock Holmes had experienced numerous first days of school. But none – not one – had ever left him feeling…optimistic.

Which was not a word Sherlock had ever, or would ever have imagined himself using to describe, well, himself.

After all, Sherlock Holmes is the same boy, who, at the age of four-and-a-half, left his very first day of school with a bloody nose and a bewildering sense of hurt that no one – not even Redbeard – had been able to assuage.

Sherlock Holmes was the same boy who, at the age of thirteen, on his very first day at Eton, had met someone clever, someone who had been funny, someone who had seemed to like him, like his deductions, someone who wanted to be his friend…only for Victor to be pretending, to be trying to win a bet with the school bully Wilkes. Victor Trevor and Sebastian Wilkes had soon experienced the full acidity of Sherlock’s deductions, but it hadn’t assuaged the sense of bewildering hurt.

So why Sherlock Holmes, on the very first day of university at Barts was feeling optimistic was, like most emotions, a mystery to him.

After the bloody nose, the crushing sense of betrayal, the bet, the stupid, stupid thought that he, Sherlock Holmes, could have friends had long since left him behind.

And yet. Watching those blue eyes fill with amused astonishment, watching those chapped yet beautiful lips curve into a rueful smile, Sherlock couldn’t help but hope.

“That…that was amazing!”

Startled, Sherlock couldn’t repress the disbelief that escaped his mouth.

“What?”

“That’s not what people usually say.”

“What do they say, then?”

“Piss off.”

Again Sherlock watched those chapped, beautiful lips curve into a rueful smile.

“Yeah, yeah, I can see that. But Sherlock, that was simply amazing. What you did, what you knew…” the boy shook his head and laughed, “How you knew I’d woken late, missed my bus and had a sub-par coffee for breakfast, all from the laces on my shoes and the stain on my shirt, well, that is just simply amazing.”

“You know you keep saying that out loud?”

“I do? I’m…sorry, I guess? Do you want me to stop?” The boy cocked his head, eyes twinkling merrily.

“No. It’s….no, fine. It’s all fine. Um…”Sherlock knew he was blushing. He could fee the damnable heat flush his cheeks. Ducking his head, he cleared his throat. Why was he finding it so hard to talk around this boy?

“Hey. Hey, Sherlock. I’m sorry. Shit. Look, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” The boy rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and shrugged, “I just…I never imagined I’d meet someone as amazing as you on my first day, y’know?”

“No. It’s okay. I’m just not used to people who l…” Sherlock stopped, looking away. He didn’t want this fabulous boy to know how few friends he really had.

“Not used to people who, what?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” Sherlock’s words trailed off when he saw a look of ferocity flit across the boys’ face.

“Screw what other people think, Sherlock. Some people just can't handle having a mirror placed up to their face. They lash out at whoever holds the mirror just because they’re scared. I’m made of sterner stuff.”

“R-really?”

“Really.”

“O-okay.” Sherlock smiled tremulously, hope fluttering unchecked in his stomach, his heart beating wildly.

“Great! Now…”

“John! John Watson!” The shrill, female shriek caused Sherlock to flinch and take the smallest of steps away from the beauti…John Watson.

“Damn.” It was said so softly that Sherlock wasn’t even certain he had heard it, especially when John greeted the owner of the voice with a smile and a “Becky! Hi!”

“I didn’t know you were attending Barts! Why didn’t you tell me?” Becky grabbed John’s arm, causing him to flinch. He threw a concerned look towards Sherlock, who ducked his head again.

“Last minute change,” John said, gently removing Becky’s hand from his arm, “Becky, have you met Sherlock…”

“Oh, everyone knows who Sherlock Holmes is,” Becky dismissed John’s introduction, flipping her hair as she laughed.

“Right.” Becky was an _idiot_ , Sherlock thought viciously. He had known John Watson all of twenty minutes and even he knew that flat, even tone meant John was annoyed. But then again, Sherlock was much more observant that your average, every day university student.

“Victor is telling everyone all about their time at Eton.”

Sherlock closed his eyes in despair. Of course, _of course_ Victor would ruin everything and run his mouth off.

“Victor?”

“Victor Trevor. Said he had a ‘thing’ with Sherlock at Eton,” Becky air quoted ‘thing’ and giggled, “You know how those public school boys are.”

“How are they, Becky? Tell me.” Sherlock's eyes flew open and he gaped at John. His voice was a bit not good.

“W-what?” Finally, finally Becky the Idiot had caught on.

“Tell me how those public school boys are, Becky, and I’ll tell you how it doesn’t matter. Tell me all about Victor Trevor and his ‘thing’ with Sherlock and I’ll tell you it doesn’t matter.”

“Johnny…” Sherlock certainly wasn’t going to help a floundering Becky. He was enjoying her goldfish impression far too much.

“So tell me all the gossip, Becky, please. I’m dying to know,” John said flatly.

“It’s…not…never”

“No. You brought it up when all I was trying to do was introduce you to my new friend. Let’s hear what the gossip is,” John’s words short-circuited Sherlock’s brain. He didn’t hear Becky’s stuttering voice, or John’s reply. He didn’t see Becky flounce away and it wasn’t until a rough hand cupped his jaw that Sherlock came back to himself.

“Sherlock? Hey, Sherlock. Are you…”

“Friends?”

“W-what?”

“Is that what we are?”

“Sherlock, what…”

“You told Becky that I was your friend.”

“Yesss…”

“Is that true?”

“Sherlock…”

“John…”

“Yes…” Sherlock’s heart soared, “But…” Flat. Broken. No!

“But?”

“Only if you want to be. And…”

“Yes!”

“Yes?”

“Yes!”

“Friends?”

“Friends.”

“Okay then. Okay,” John blew out a breath, “Great. Great. Only…”

No wonder Sherlock never rode rollercoasters. This conversation was bad enough.

“Only what?”

Only if he changed?

Only if he stopped deducing?

Only if he never acknowledged John in public?

“Hey! Sherlock, where do you go when you do that?” John asked, his voice warm, eyes soft, touch gentle.

“Mind palace,” Sherlock mumbled.

With a whole new wing titled ‘John Watson’.

“Mind palace, huh?” John chuckled, “Well, can you come back to me, for just a minute?”

“Sorry John, I’m just…I don’t have friends, as a rule.”

“Then it’s those others that are missing out. Sherlock, look, I…when I said that the thing you and Trevor had…”

“No! I didn’t…I mean, yes, I knew Victor at Eton but there was a bet and he was pretending and it never, even went further than the first day and…” No! He couldn’t have the perfect boy that was John Watson thinking he had any type of relationship with Victor Trevor!

“Well, good. I mean…not good that there was a bet. Good that you weren’t used. Look, Sherlock,” John rubbed his neck again, “Bollocks. I don’t normally have issues with telling people that I like them…”

“You like me?”

“Sherlock. Of course I do. In fact, I find myself, well, attracted to you, in fact,” John said, his eyes and his voice apologetic. Because he didn’t want to be or because he didn’t think Sherlock…

“Oh! Oh!” Interesting. John’s reacting to that would require further study, later, “You like me. You like me.”

“Yes, established that. What do you…what about the attraction part?”

“I’ve never…”

“Getting that.”

“I’m not…”

“You are.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.” John popped the last ‘p’ very distinctly. The fluttering in Sherlock’s stomach moved to his heart.

“Then yes, John. Yes. I too, am attracted to you. But…”

“Sure?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not just say…”

“No!”

“Well.” John laughed, relief and hope shining bright on his face, “Never thought my first day of uni would be like this!”

“Similarly, John. Every other one of my first days of school has always been memorable, for reasons best left unspoken. Today is…” Sherlock fumbled for the right word.

“Special, yeah?” John said fondly.

“Special.” Sherlock wanted to pinch himself. He could scarcely believe this was happening. John liked him. John was attracted to him. John was…

Leaving?

“Sorry, sorry, but I just…I was on my way to student housing when we…met…and I really need to be heading there again. I need a place to live,” John shrugged.

“Shouldn’t we…” Sherlock blushed again, enjoying John’s chuckles, “Kiss?”

“No rush, eh? And I want it to be perfect. And not in front of those bastards you went to Eton with. Private and…well, I seriously have a feeling that once we start, stopping will become a bit of an issue,” John admitted, the fondness is his eyes changing to something hotter, darker and attractive.

“Oh-o-okay,” Sherlock squeaked and John laughed, squeezing his hand.

“So, come with me? Make sure I don’t get a dodgy landlord or something?” John asked, tugging on Sherlock’s hand.

“Sure,” Sherlock nodded. But five steps later, “Wait!”

“Sherlock?”

“I know of a place. I mean, I know someone who is looking for a flatmate. Two bedroom flat on Baker Street. Reasonable rent. Interested?” Sherlock asked casually.

“What would my flatmate be like?”

“A bit mad. Doesn’t talk for hours. Plays the violin when thinking.” Sherlock couldn’t prevent the shy glance, the lip biting.

“What would we do with the second bedroom though?” John mused and Sherlock laughed giddily.

“Lab?”

“Study?”

Sherlock smiled, tightening his hold on John’s hand as he basked in the warmth of John’s smile.

He’d go through a hundred first days at school, in a hundred different lives, if all of them led to this very moment.

Hope, Sherlock thought, was a beautiful, precious thing.


	2. Fic Cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to _Special_ placing third in the fuckyeahteenlock Back to School contest, I got this totally awesome fic cover! Yay!
> 
> Many, many thanks to Grace and everyone at fuckyeahteenlock. Your contest has reignited my love of writing fanfic!

[](http://imgur.com/6XpscpY)

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on [tumblr](http://johnlock-loveandangst.tumblr.com)!


End file.
